Definition & calculation
Numerator: Number of surviving infants (children under 1 year) who received the third dose of DTP/pentavalent-containing vaccine
Denominator: Estimated total number of surviving infants (children under 1 year) in the target area for the same period
Divide the number of Penta3 doses given to the infant cohort by the estimated surviving-infant population for the same period.
Formula: (Numerator ÷ Denominator) × 100
Means of verification
Immunization registers / home-based records; HMIS; coverage survey
Interpretation
Direction: Higher is better
Typical reporting frequency: Baseline, midline and endline (or annual)
Guidance & common pitfalls
Penta3 is a standard proxy for routine EPI system strength. The Penta1-to-Penta3 drop-out rate is a useful companion measure of continuity.
This library is a curated reference to adapt, aligned generically with recognised humanitarian frameworks (Sphere, cluster registries, IASC, CHS and others). It is not an official indicator registry — always use the exact indicator definitions your donor or cluster requires.
Related indicators
- Crude mortality rate (CMR) in the affected population (deaths per 10,000 persons per day)
- Under-five mortality rate (U5MR) in the affected population (deaths per 10,000 children under 5 per day)
- % of caregivers of children under 5 who can correctly identify at least two danger signs requiring urgent care
- % of children aged 6-59 months in the target area vaccinated against measles